Sonitrek Go XL Smart Bluetooth 5 Portable Wireless Waterproof Speaker With Bass Boost Dual Pairing (Green Camo)

Product Information

JBL is well known for making some of the best waterproof speakers affordable prices, and it’s line of party speakers even come with built-in light shows. A 12-hour battery life and water and dust resistance makes this an ideal speaker to take to the pool or beach, and it's available in an array of eye-catching colors. It's a shame it doesn't have a port to charge your phone, like some of larger JBL speakers do, but that's not a big deal. You won't find extra features such as voice assistants or Wi-Fi connectivity (or even a 3.5mm aux-in), but the Flip 6 sounds so good that you won't miss them. During our testing, we found that its warm, well-balanced audio performance is far more powerful than you might expect from a speaker of this size, and while the treble can sound a little harsh at higher volumes, you're getting plenty of clarity and detail. Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity means that the A1 (2nd Gen) is easy to pair with your smartphone, while built-in Alexa voice assistance means it can double up as a smart speaker. The A1 is the first speaker to offer Alexa support without needing to be connected to your home Wi-Fi network – and while this is impressive in itself, we did find that the voice assistant could be quite slow to respond to our commands. This is because routing is carried out via Bluetooth to your phone, with your phone then making the request over whatever internet connection it has… which won't always be great.

You want Wi-Fi connectivity: Unlike the Sonos Roam, there’s no option to hook the Flip 6 up to your home network for higher quality music streaming. You need Wi-Fi connectivity: You only get Bluetooth support with the Hyperboom, so look elsewhere for a wireless speaker that hooks up to your home network. For the best sound quality, we recommend keeping the speaker around 50-60% volume based on our experience – when you have to push beyond this volume, there’s likely so much ambient noise that sound quality isn’t the first priority. But Tribit has made no secret of wanting to bring the party to both your ears and your body, and it has emphatically delivered. This thing can go loud and still sound good when it does. If you're worried whether one speaker will be enough for the garden party, it will here – and for this money, it represents unbeatable sound-per-pound value.You want long battery life: At 10 hours, the battery here is relatively low – the JBL Charge 5 doubles it at 20 hours. You want delicate audiophile sound: It sounds great, but it's still made for impact outdoors, not for refined ears. Think fun and energetic, not classy and controlled. Feature-rich, but does not excel in any one are. Of note are the options to use voice commands, and pair two SoundLink speakers together for double the output. That said, controls are difficult to operate, and voice commands fail to register more often than not. Should you have a home with Bose technology, the SoundLink is compatible with the Bose Smart Home family. You want a speaker for a large room: This is better for a living room or more intimate environment, although it will do the job well enough for occasional use. We test countless portable speakers every year at TechRadar, and that means we know exactly which features and specs to look out for.It's important for us to compare the performance of these speakers against the specs claimed by their manufacturers, which is why we take the time to make sure the battery life and connectivity is as good as the brands say they are.

You need to play extremely loudly: It's loud, but if you’re looking for max volume, you’ll need to look at even bigger speakers, like the Tribit Stormbox Blast. Honestly, it's not the subtlest looking device we've tested. But that's where the criticism ends. The Stormbox Blast is the biggest and most powerful Bluetooth speaker in Tribit's ever-growing arsenal of portable speakers and it sounds every inch as detailed – even at higher volumes – as models from better-known audio specialists at three times the price.Absurd battery life with USB-C rapid charging. The Go XL itself will play continuously for 14+ hours, a feat we tested over several days. Not only that, but the included USB-C charging cable offers a full charge in under 30 minutes. No, that is not a typo. We were able to recharge in under 30 minutes via USB-C. That’s stunning, and makes us wonder why speakers from other brands costing 3-4 times more have just a third of the battery life and take over 90 minutes to recharge. Almost identical to the original A1, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) is an appealing and highly portable Bluetooth speaker that comes with (admittedly flawed) Alexa support without the need for Wi-Fi. First and foremost is the sheer scale of sound that emanates from such a small body. Sound is also spacious and served up with generous levels of bass. It's a remarkable performance and one that will keep everyone entertained when out and about.

We test countless portable speakers every year at TechRadar, and that means we know exactly which features and specs to look out for. We particularly enjoyed the bass response, which is where small speakers can usually falter: Tribit is keeping quiet about the exact specifications of the driver in this model but whatever it is, it delivers impressive bass for such a small footprint. And battery life is superb, up from the 8 hours of the original Micro to a travelling or beach day-friendly 12 hours. Both Bose and Sonos create excellent-sounding audio tech that tends to be at the premium end of the spectrum. We love Bose products and often recommend them, but in terms of the best Bluetooth speakers and portable speakers, we think Sonos is the better option. Consider high-end audio brands such as Bose and Bang & Olufsen if you want a combination of stylish design and great sound – but be prepared for relatively high prices. If you want to save money then Tribit and Anker offer strong speakers that won’t break the bank. Is JBL or Bose better?

Customer Testimonials

Overall, the JBL Charge 5 sounds like a bigger portable speaker than it is. It dishes out an impressive amount of bass for its size without sacrificing on the mids or highs. It's worth pointing out that some of the models in this list can also double up as computer speakers if you want to have a cleaner PC setup, too. The best wireless speaker including listening at home, the office, on holiday, and all around gym use come from a brand that is new to Australia. But don’t let that scare you off, as this speaker is easily one of the best we have ever tested. The top value with local inventory can be found at Australian electronics retailer Mifo. BEST VALUE VIEW AT MIFO.COM.AU